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National Tequila Day, held every year on July 24, has become a day to celebrate Mexico's national spirit, but the history of this event is a bit murky. Strangely, it may have actually been started by a group of fraternity brothers at Utah State University before being co-opted by the tequila and food and beverage industry. In our research, the first mention of this day goes all the way back to 1974, long before the spirit had its renaissance, at a time when tequila was more likely to be served in a shot glass.
A few members of Beta Beta Beta fraternity — Bill Brown, Robb Sykes, and Doug McCullouch — held the first National Tequila Day on November 16, 1974, during the school's annual football game with rival University of Utah. McCullouch, in a 1979 letter to the editor of The Utah Statesman, described National Tequila Day as "the only national holiday native to Utah" and a "day to commemorate the United States' relationship with its neighbor Mexico."
It soon became an annual event, and by 1976, it had spread to more than 20 states and parts of Canada. In Logan, where the university is located, the local liquor store would sell out of the spirit, forcing students to drive to Idaho to get their party supplies. By the 2000s, tequila brands, bars, and restaurants had taken over the holiday, with a move to July 24.
Read more: 13 Meats People Used To Eat, But Are Now Illegal In The US
National Tequila Day comes to Mexico
How National Tequila Day went from a college tradition to an international (if unofficial) holiday celebrating all things tequila isn't clear, but it may have been helped along in 2013 by the birth of the National Day Calendar along with social media. This website, created by Marlo Anderson and dedicated to all kinds of obscure holidays, quickly went viral after its launch and has become a boon for people looking to celebrate various events, whether that's National Tequila Day or National Hot Dog Day.
While it may have started in the U.S., in 2018, Mexico picked up on National Tequila Day, and officially designated it to be held annually on the third Saturday in March. Then, in 2026, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo of Mexico officially moved the celebration to July 24 to align with the U.S. date. The National Chamber of the Tequila Industry (CNIT), Mexico's largest tequila lobbying organization, began planning various educational and promotional activities in Mexico for the new July date. So whether you like to sip on a blanco like Dos Hombes, or mix up a fancy tequila-based cocktail with an añejo like Cazadores, or even another lesser-known tequila brand, you can now give your bartender or friends an overview of the wild history of National Tequila Day.
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Read the original article on Chowhound.
